Patty Jenkins Responds to James Cameron’s Criticism of Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman was undoubtedly a huge hit, winning high marks from moviegoers and critics alike, along with setting box office records. Although it’s an accomplishment that director Patty Jenkins should be proud of, James Cameron, a director with some hits of his own (The Terminator, Titanic, Avatar), expressed a few problems he had with the superhero blockbuster.

Speaking to The Guardian in an interview, Cameron surprisingly described Wonder Woman as “a step backwards.” Read the full quote below:

All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood’s been doing over Wonder Woman has been so misguided. She’s an objectified icon, and it’s just male Hollywood doing the same old thing! I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie but, to me, it’s a step backwards. Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit. And to me, [the benefit of characters like Sarah] is so obvious. I mean, half the audience is female!

Cameron feels that Wonder Woman’s credentials as a feminist icon are overblown, comparing her negatively to his own creation, Terminator protagonist Sarah Connor.

Jenkins wasn’t having any of that, responding later in the day via Twitter:

pic.twitter.com/8zkJXHLCJW

— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 25, 2017

The director accuses Cameron of misunderstanding Wonder Woman and what she represents, saying that Cameron as a man wouldn’t understand that a woman can be strong in many different ways. An appropriate response for sure—although Cameron is an accomplished artist, there is no need for him to mansplain this successful female-directed and female-led movie to its own director.

The sequel to Wonder Woman is set for Dec. 13, 2019. Check out our review for the first film here.